The first steps towards the forming of a business association in Kamsack, after many years without such an organization in the community, were made last week.
On an initiative from town council, about two dozen people, all representatives of various businesses, met at the OCC Hall on August 24 with Mayor Nancy Brunt and councillors Jared Ruf, Claire Bishop and Maria Nahnybida.
This is a forum for open discussion, Ruf said, asking those attending to feel free to express themselves.
“Having been on council for six years, I have felt that the voice of the business community has been missing,” Bishop said, adding that recently Ruf, a businessperson, indicated he has felt the same way and it was his “spark” that resulted in the calling of the meeting.
“This council is very interested in the business community’s concerns,” Brunt said. “We all want to make Kamsack better.”
Ruf told the meeting that council has its strategic plan and it is looking at doing a number of things to make the downtown more appealing. He said a proposed new loitering bylaw is currently being reviewed by a lawyer and talked of initiatives for the installation of webcams on main street.
He spoke of the re-establishment of a recreation board and was applauded when he mentioned that there had been suggestions favouring a community calendar.
Bishop outlined some of the proposals for improvements being discussed by council, including infrastructure work on paving, water system, airport and swimming pool, and town-owned buildings including the Broda Sportsplex, OCC Hall and Crowstand Centre.
“What do businesspeople think?” she asked. “What are the big things needed? What are your priorities?”
Agreeing that the community is attractive and a wonderful place to call home, and saying that visitors continually remind residents of that, several people pointed to reports of intravenous drug use in the downtown core and its intimidating side effects, including shoplifting and less-than-attractive behaviours.
“Kamsack has it all, except for those thefts,” a businessperson said.
Council’s proposed loitering bylaw is an attempt to address those behaviours, Ruf said.
When statements were made criticizing the community’s policing, Brunt explained that the detachment is currently short-staffed, and the loitering bylaw should provide the tools police require in order to act.
Bishop said that in arguments being made by council for improvements, an active business association would be reinforcement.
“There’s strength in numbers,” she said.
When the clean-up of vacant downtown buildings was mentioned as being an improvement, it was suggested that council imposes a higher tax on owners of such properties, as is being done in other communities, because those neglected buildings detract from the appearance of the whole street.
“The more we hear from you as a group, the more we can do,” Bishop said.
The discussion included the possibility of altering the job description of the bylaw enforcement officer to be a more visible presence on main street and a need to enhance lines of communication with the RCMP.
Picking up on the desire for things over which to be positive, Brunt told the meeting that in a report of the best hamburgers to be bought, Chester’s Place was ranked at the top.
Glen Sterzer commended council for having four of its number attend the meeting, saying that having several council members involved in the discussion was likely more effective than if council had delegated only one representative.
“Our goal is to get together as a group which would be a voice for the business community,” Ruf said.
It was agreed to hold another meeting on October 19 and members expressed a desire to invite the RCMP staff sergeant and band councillors of Cote First Nation to attend.
